hamer happenings

2013 HAMER HUMANITARIAN AWARDS LUNCHEON

JACKSON STATE

UNIVERSITY

FALL 2012

CORE FACULTY Dr. Leslie Burl McLemore,

Director, Political Scientist (Emeritus) at Jackson State

University and Veteran of the

Civil Rights Movement

Dr. Michelle D. Deardorff,

Political Scientist at

Jackson State University

Dr. Jeff Kolnick, Historian,

Southwest Minnesota State

University

Dr. Daphne Chamberlain,

Research Fellow

STAFF Latosha A. Garrett,

Administrative Assistant/

Program Coordinator

Keith Lamont Mcmillian, M.A.

Project Coordinator

Inside this issue:

Director’s Note 2

History of the

Institute

3

Medgar Evers/ Ella 4

The Outcomes of

Black Males in Urban

Institutions

6

The 2012 Hamer

Humanitarian

Awards Luncheon

8

28th Annual Hamer

Memorial

Symposium

10

2012 Summer

Youth Workshop

12

2012 Teach American

History

14

The Hamer

Experience with

HECUA

15

The COFO Civil

Rights Education

Center

16

The Fannie Lou Hamer National Institute on Citizenship and

Democracy at Jackson State University extends an invitation

for you to become a participant in the Fannie Lou Hamer

Humanitarian Awards Luncheon, to be held on Friday, April

19, 2013, 11:30 A.M. – 1:30 P.M. in the New Student Center,

Ballrooms A & B located on the campus of Jackson State

University. The purpose of this awards luncheon is to honor

individuals and organizations that have made major

contributions to the areas of service and leadership in the

pursuit of social, economic, political, and environmental

justice and equality within the state of Mississippi and abroad.

2013 H2013 HAMERAMER HHUMANITARIANUMANITARIAN

AAWARDWARD RRECIPIENTSECIPIENTS Rev. John Earl Cameron

Senior Pastor, Greater Mt. Calvary Baptist Church

Jackson, Mississippi

Attorney Alvin O. Chambliss Lead Counsel, Ayers v. Barbour


Ms. Nsombi Lambright Director, Resource Development and Communications

One Voice


Attorney Rob McDuff Civil Rights and Criminal Defense Attorney


Mrs. Euvester Simpson Civil Rights Veteran, former SNCC Field Secretary,


$35 PER PERSON

$250 PER

TABLE OF 8

Save The Date

LOCATION:

Jackson State

University

New Student

Center

Ballrooms A&B

WHEN:

APRIL 19, 2013

TIME:

11:30 A.M.-1:30 P.M.

For More Information

please contact the

Hamer Institute at

601-979-1563 or email us at

[email protected].

You may also visit our

website at www.jsums.edu/

hamer.institute

HAMER

HAPPENINGS

Hamer Happenings

We have had a phenomenal year at

the Hamer Institute. We have been

involved in a variety of academic

activities on the campus, as well as a

number of community based projects.

We have worked closely with faculty

to implement curriculum development

and public programming. The Hamer

Institute collaborated with the

Departments of History and Political

Science to develop a new course on

the Modern Civil Rights Movement.

The course will be jointly offered by

the departments and the Hamer

Institute. It will be open to all

undergraduates at Jackson State

University. We are excited about this

new course because we are looking

forward to adding new partners from

the Department of Sociology,

Psychology and Criminal Justice.

We are especially proud of our public

programming during this past academic

y e a r . W e s p o n s o r e d a n d

co-sponsored public programs on the

campus and in the community. The

public programs were implemented as

a part of the Medgar Evers/Ella Baker

Civil Rights Lecture Series, the Fannie

Lou Hamer Memorial Symposium

Lecture Series and the Jackson State

University Reading Community Series.

Our robust public programming has

afforded us the opportunity to work

with Tougaloo College, Smith

Robertson Museum and Cultural

Center, the Veterans of the Mississippi

Civil Rights Movement, the COFO

Education Center, the Margaret

Walker Center and Jackson Public

Schools. The reader will get a more

detailed picture of the different Hamer

activities in this edition of Hamer

Happenings. I am appreciative of the

stellar work performed by the Hamer

staff, affiliated faculty members,

graduate students and volunteers. We

have assembled a world class staff and

faculty that have served the Institute

and Jackson State University very well.

The Moton Institute in Farmville,

Virginia invited Dr. Michelle D.

Deardorff and I to their winter board

meeting and staff retreat. They asked

us to talk about our nationally

recognized workshop series for K-12

and Community College teachers. We

agreed to help them develop a series

of teacher workshops in 2013. They

wish to use our workshops as a model

for the activities they plan to develop

over time. We are looking forward to

developing a long term collaboration

with the Moton Institute.

The Hamer Institute’s staff will

continue to work with the COFO

Education Center and the Margaret

Walker Center as we develop new

funding opportunities and public

programs. We are excited about

further development of the Historic

Lynch Street Civil Rights Corridor.

The Corridor is increasingly becoming

a point of destination for visitors

around the world.

Please continue to follow us on our

website and attend our many

programs on campus and in the

community.

Leslie Burl McLemore, Ph.D.

Director

The Hamer Institute

DIRECTOR’S NOTE

Dr. Leslie Burl McLemore,

Director, The Hamer

Institute

FOUNDED IN 1997, the mission of the

Fannie Lou Hamer National Institute on Citizenship and Democracy is to promote

positive social change by examining and teaching the tools and experiences of those

who struggle to create, expand, and sustain civil rights, social justice, and citizenship. A

coalition of academics who partner with social institutions in the local community, the Hamer Institute advocates civic

engagement and popular sovereignty through the study of the struggle for civil

rights in the United States. As a part of Jackson State University, we work with local

school boards and colleges, national funding organizations, state agencies, and local civil

rights organizations to encourage local communities to embrace political

engagement and agency.

The Hamer Institute has annually offered a summer workshop for area students on local

civil rights history, while simultaneously exposing them not only to community lead-

ers, but a university campus. We have partnered with Jackson Public Schools—not

only offering regular development opportunities for teachers, classroom visits,

and summer workshops on civil rights, but through the five-year U.S. Department of

Education’s Teaching American History grant regular professional development

programming and a two-week summer workshop providing both cutting-edge

content and pedagogy for teachers of Ameri-can History. Via the Medgar Evers/ Ella

Baker lecture series, co-sponsored with the Veterans of the Mississippi Civil Rights

Movement and the Margaret Walker Alexander Research Center, monthly panels on topics of interest to the

community are offered in locations throughout the metropolitan area and into

the Delta.

Under the auspices of the National

Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and through a partnership with Rhodes College

(Memphis) and the National Civil Rights

Museum, a workshop for community

college faculty on landmarks of the civil rights movement exposes faculty from

Mississippi and the nation to the benefits of engaging students using such

resources as local landmarks, oral history panels, music, and primary

documents.

Our attempts to improve economic development in the Delta and central

Jackson has led to collaborations with and grants from the Mississippi

Development Authority and the NEH to work on recording and preserving

local civil rights sites and developing driving trails for such Mississippi

communities as Greenwood, Indianola, and Ruleville and the development of a

Civil Rights Corridor adjacent to Jackson State’s campus on Lynch

Street.

Other partnerships have led to: a year-long celebration of the Jackson

Civil Rights Movement (Tougaloo College and the Mississippi Department

of Archives and History); a yearly symposia for college faculty, students,

community activists, and teachers on the impact of recent civil rights and

education scholarship (Mississippi Humanities Council); the training of

teachers state-wide in the content of the new civil rights curriculum (William W in te r I n s t i t u t e f o r Ra c i a l

Reconciliation at the University of Mississippi, Mississippi Department of

Education, and Teaching for Change);

and many other programs.

Here at the Hamer Institute, we are generous in our willingness to share

our expertise with the community, constant in our commitment to local

public education, and increasingly prominent in the national debate on

civic engagement and citizenship

education.

THE HAMER INSTITUTE

… this workshop was

one of the best

learning experiences

that I have ever had.

The entire experience

was both uplifting

and humbling! - Dr.

Derrick R. Brooms,

Assistant Professor,

Sociology, Prairie State

College—2011

Landmarks of

Democracy Participant

FALL 2012

Hamer Faculty & Staff: Left to

Right: Leslie Burl McLemore,

Latosha Garrett, Mary D. Coleman, Michelle D.

Deardorff,

Keith L. McMillian

Hamer Happenings

The Fannie Lou Hamer National Institute on Citizenship and Democracy at Jackson State University, the Veterans of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement, and the Margaret Walker Center present the establishment of the Medgar Evers/Ella Baker Lecture Series. The Lecture Series is one of many cooperative projects sponsored by the Hamer Institute. The series honors two icons of the Civil Rights Movement, Medgar Evers and Ella Baker who were pioneers in effectuating social change. They were pioneers

in effectuating change not only in Mississippi, but across

the nation. Dr. Leslie Burl McLemore, Director of the Hamer Institute at Jackson State has indicated, “The Evers/Baker Lecture Series will serve as a community forum for the city of Jackson and the entire state of Mississippi.” He further stated, “The lecture series will present some of the leading figures who helped to change the American

political and social landscape.”

The panel members included the moderator, Byron D’Andra Orey, Ph.D., Chair, Political Science, Jackson State University; Emily Wagster Pettus, The Associated Press; Jere Nash, Co-Author, Mississippi Politics: The Struggle for Power 1976-2006; and Leniece Davis, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science, Jackson

State University.

The Robert C l a r k Symposium is a n a n n u a l event that hon-ors the legacy

of Speaker Robert Clark, the first African-American elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives since Reconstruction and long-time Speaker Pro-Tempore of the House. This year’s symposium took place on November 9, 2011, the evening after the 2011 statewide general elections in Mississippi. A discussion regarding the implications of those elections

provided a needed assessment of our current political offices.

Robert Clark Symposium: Election Day

Implication and Analysis

Child Poverty in Mississippi and Its Implications

Mississippi’s children are being affected,” stated Oleta Fitzgerald, Children’s Defense Fund Southern Regional Office, who also moderated this event. Other members of the panel included: Jed Oppenheim, Senior Advocate, Mississippi Initiatives with the Southern Poverty Law Center; Mary Ann Hill, Policy Research and Planning, Mississippi Institute of Higher Learning; Sarah Welker, Policy Analyst, MS Economic Policy Center; and

Rhea Williams-Bishop, Director of the Mississippi Center for Education Innovation.

The Children’s Defense Fund reports that a level playing field is needed to prevent the national dilemma from becoming a national tragedy. Mississippi being the poorest state in the United States needs immediate help for the largest number (proportionately) of children of poverty and how Mississippi’s children are being affected. On Thursday, October 20, 2011, community leaders gave

dialogue to address this concern. “We need immediate help for the largest number, proportionately, of children of poverty and how

THE MEDGAR EVERS/ ELLA BAKER

CIVIL RIGHTS LECTURE SERIES

FALL 2012

In 1962, both Rev. Robert L. T. Smith and Rev. Merrill W. Lindsey made a significant mark on the history of Mississippi politics when they became the first blacks to run for a Congressional seat since Reconstruction. Smith became a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People during its first meeting in Hinds County in 1925. Rev. Merrill W. Lindsey was a native of Holly Springs, Mississippi and pastor of Ausbury Methodist Church. Although their bids for the House of Representatives were unsuccessful, their campaigns helped to pave the way for Black Mississippians’ involvement in the political process. On Thursday, February 23, 2012 at the Masonic Temple in Jackson

Mississippi, scholars, political figures and family mem-bers of Robert L.T. Smith and Merril Winston Lindsey joined to discuss the impact these two legendary leaders

had on black politics today. Moderated by DR. RICO CHAPMAN, Assistant Professor of Department of History and Philosophy, Jackson State University, other panel members included: DR. LENIECE DAVIS, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Jackson State University, ATTORNEY DAVE DENNIS, President and CEO of Positive Innovations, Inc., and, DR. K.C. MORRISON, Professor and Head of Political Science &

Public Policy Administration, Mississippi State University.

Robert L.T. Smith/ Merril Winston Lindsey Campaign of 1962:

The Impact of Blacks in Politics—Then and Now

The Continuation of Black Women’s

Activism: Sharing the Torch With a New

Generation of Women

On Wednesday, March 21, 2012, the Evers/Baker Lecture Series joined The Veterans of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement for a pre-conference event. The discussion for this day was “The Continuation of Black Women’s Activism: Passing the Torch to a New Generation of Women.” This event took place on the historic campus of Tougaloo College. During this intergenerational dialogue, panel members explored formal and informal educational experiences in an effort to explore Black Women's Activism in the year 2011. They addressed the question of how their past and present experiences influenced their navigating successfully and unsuccessfully across institutional, political, historical, economic and social arenas in an effort to "pass the torch”. Members of the panel included: Moderator: Frankye Adams Johnson, Former Chair, Veterans of the Mis-sissippi Civil Rights Movement; Karen Kirksey Zander, Civil Rights Investigator; Monette Devine Watts, daughter of the late Annie Devine; Cynthia Dorsey Smith, daughter of Dr. L.C. Dorsey; Dr. Daphne R. Chamberlain, Program Director, COFO Civil Rights Education Center, and Angela Stewart, Archivist, Mar-garet Walker Alexander Center. These extraordinary women discussed the impact of women before them had on their own lives and how that translated into success.

Hamer Happenings

Photo courtesy:

“The Outcomes of Black Males in

Urban Institutions:

A National Catastrophe or Local Concern?” Keith Lamont McMillian

Black males continue to perform lower than their peers throughout the country on almost every

indicator,” says the groundbreaking report titled A Call for Change: The Social and Educational

Factors Contributing to the Outcomes of Black Males in Urban Schools. This report focused on

areas of readiness to learn, black male achievement at the national level, college and career

preparedness, post secondary experience and more.

It's not that young black men don't have role models in

their communities; they often do. The problem is that

many times the people mentoring young people aren't

always positive role models, Dr. Rodney Washington,

chairman of the Department of Elementary and Early

Childhood Education at Jackson State University,

explained..

On Thursday, September 13, 2012, scholars and

community leaders had an intergenerational dialogue

regarding young black males and the factors affecting

their status on college campuses, including their disproportionate underrepresentation and

corresponding ‘invisibility’ in the campus community. This discussion kicked-off the first lecture

of the Medgar Evers/ Ella Baker Civil Rights Series for the 2012-2013 academic year.

The panel members included: Moderator: Dr. Leslie Burl McLemore, Director of the Hamer

Institute; Mr. Cassio Batteast, Founder/Executive Director/CEO, Fathers Active In Their Hoods,

Inc. ( FAITH); Ms. Shawna Davie, Director of Education Initiatives, United Way of the Capital

Area; Dr. Johnnie Griffin, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Jackson State University; and Dr.

Rodney Washington, Chair and Associate Professor, Elementary & Early Childhood, Jackson

State University. Also attending was Dr. Cedrick Gray, Superintendent, Jackson Public Schools.

Participants attended this series for many reasons. Addie Stover,

Director, Grant Development, Jackson Public Schools said she

wanted to “gain new insight into the solutions for African American

males in urban schools.” "Keith Smith, a current Jackson State

University student said, “I am an African American male myself with

two sons, (I am) very concerned with the plight of these young men.

I'm constantly looking for ways to better serve & reach these young

men who rarely see positive black role models in their

communities.” “Reading and basic math skills are vital aspects of

being an independent, productive citizen. I would like to learn how

to better prepare my students for success, learn their

FALL 2012

expected outcomes, and do what I can to better them as individuals”, said Jessica Brown, a special

education teacher.

This community forum attracted more than 300

students, administrators, faculty, staff and

community leaders from across the state. Students

and administrators from Piney Woods School, Jim

Hill High School, and Blackburn Middle School

were in attendance. Other guests included the

Minority Male Leadership Institute from Jackson-

Hinds Community College along with their director,

Mr. Steven Harper.

Hamer Happenings

The Fannie Lou Hamer National Institute on Citizenship and Democracy

H U M A N I T A R I A N A W A R D SA W A R D S L U N C H E O N

RECOGNIZING VV ISIONSISIONS OFOF THETHE PPASTAST, TODAY

J. Garner

Class of

1970

H. Johnson

F. Brown-

Wright

I. Madison

(Posthumously)

S. Glisson

On Friday, April 20, 2012, The Fannie Lou

Hamer National Institute on Citizenship

and Democracy will recognized

exceptional agents of change at the 2012

Fannie Lou Hamer Humanitarian Awards

Luncheon. The honorees will receive the

Fannie Lou Hamer Humanitarian Award in an 11:30 a.m. ceremony held in

Ballrooms A &B of the New Student

Union on the campus of Jackson State

University. The Honorees included:

Mr. John Garner of Jackson Mississippi.

A Civil Rights veteran and retired physics

professor, Garner helped to establish the

physics department at Tougaloo College.

His commitment to providing an

opportunity for African American

students to get training in the sciences speaks to a long history of activism for

children and students.

The Hamer Institute also honored

Dr. Susan Glisson, Executive Director

of the William Winter Institute for Racial

Reconciliation in Oxford, Mississippi.

After coordinating the only Deep-South

public forum from President Clinton’s

One American: An Initiative on Race, Glisson

continues to lead community projects, specializing in the history of race, religion

and the black struggle for freedom.

Along with more than one hundred

supporters, Senior Pastor of Farish Street

Baptist Church, Reverend, Dr.

Hickman Johnson, honoree during

this celebration. As an advocate for

community activism and leadership,

Johnson has served the historic Farish

Street Church and the state of

Mississippi for more than forty years.

The Hamer Institute recognized

posthumously, Rev. Professor, Isaiah

Madison. Known as the “architect” of

the historic Ayers Case, Madison wrote

the 37 page legal document that

resulted in a $503 million dollar

settlement for the underfunding of

HBCU’s by the state of Mississippi.

The Hamer Institute honored a “…

country girl from Mississippi who loves

the Lord and All People”, Mrs. Flonzie

Brown-Wright. As an author and Civil

Rights Trailblazer from Canton,

Mississippi Brown-Wright was elected

as the first African American Female to

public office in Mississippi since

reconstruction. This position of

Election Commissioner allowed her to

correct many voting rights injustices

that the state of Mississippi was still

fighting to resolve.

FALL 2012

Hamer Institute paid homage to the Jackson State College Class of 1970 as a tribute to

students, Phillip Lafayette Gibbs and James Earl Green who lost their lives during a campus

shooting by police on May 14, 1970. This tribute extends to the additional twelve JSU Students

who were struck by gunfire and treated for shock and injuries sustained by shattered glass during

this history making tragedy.

MADDRAMA (Making A Difference Doing Respectable and Meaningful Art), the official drama

club within the Department of Speech and Communication and Theater at Jackson State

University, provided an entertaining, yet informative production. Sharing the stories of the

honorees for the past three years during this annual event, MADDRAMA presented a theatrical

journey of the accomplishments and highlights in the lives of each honoree.

This year’s event captured the attention of more than 380 attendees including, Dr. Carolyn

Myers, President, Jackson State University, Dr. Beverly Hogan, President, Tougaloo College and

Mr. William Winter, Former Governor of Mississippi.

RECOGNIZING VV ISIONSISIONS OFOF THETHE PPASTAST , TODAY

Hamer Happenings

A great American poet once wrote: “Do

not go where the path may lead, go

instead where there is no path and leave

a trail.” The Hamer Institute was

indeed fortunate to have trailblazers be

part of its 28th Annual Fannie Lou

Hamer Memorial Symposium on

October 5-6, 2011. The event included

a roster of speakers who inspired change

and continue to seek truth and justice.

These were individuals, who in 1961,

helped to galvanize the Mississippi

freedom struggle and were at the center

of the movement – leading and

organizing. Frankye Adams-Johnson,

Roscoe Jones, William Scott, and Hollis

Watkins, to name a few, paved the way

for contemporary youth activists like

Nick Allen with the Sunflower County Freedom Project,

Shawna Davie with the United Way, Albert Sykes with the

Young People’s Project, and Jason Thompson (PyInfamous).

The 2011 symposium was an opportunity for young

academics to share their scholarship on youth activism in

Mississippi, civil rights pioneers to reflect on their past

experiences but also inspire future generations, and today’s

youth leaders to charge others to be active and take a stand.

The symposium opened with a keynote address by civil

rights veteran, scholar, and educator Joyce Ladner and

concluded as the Hamer Institute and Tougaloo College

joined to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the

“Tougaloo Nine” read-in.

On March 27, 1961, nine students from Tougaloo College

changed the course of history when they entered the Jackson

Municipal Library and staged the first sit-in in the city and in

the state. Subsequently, Meredith Anding, James “Sammy”

Bradford, Alfred Cook, Geraldine Edwards, Joseph Jackson,

Jr., Janice Jackson, Albert Lassiter, Evelyn Pierce, and Ethel

Sawyer were arrested. To celebrate the bravery of these

young people, the “Evening with the Tougaloo Nine”

entailed a lively discussion moderated by John Dittmer,

author of Local People: The Struggle for Civil Rights in

Mississippi. Special presentations were made to each of the

eight who were represented, and a very special presentation

was made by members of the undergraduate and graduate

chapters of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., to the family

of Ameenah Omar (Evelyn Pierce) in

her memory. Looking back at October

2011, Ethel Sawyer Adolphe expressed

that “it was a joy and a privilege to

spend time with my fellow Tougaloo

Nine classmates, commemorating the

50th anniversary of the library sit-in, and

participating in the Hamer Institute-

Jackson State-Tougaloo College 2011

Symposium. These were very

worrisome and challenging times in the

U.S., especially for African Americans

and others of color. It was, therefore,

good to understand that these important

institutions continue to teach the

ongoing struggle.”

In a continued effort to challenge young

people to be engaged and empowered,

the 30th Annual Fannie Lou Hamer

M e m o r i a l S y m p o s i u m w i l l

commemorate the 50th anniversary of

the “Children’s Crusade.” Please join

the Fannie Lou Hamer National Institute

on Citizenship & Democracy on

October 2-3, 2013, as it examines the

children’s crusade, from youth activism

to youth advocacy.

By Daphne R. Chamberlain

FALL 2012

Hamer Happenings

Summer: A time for freedom,

family, and fun! An 18-year old’s

time to enjoy the dog days of

summer from vacations to

purchasing cool, colorful items

for college.

MY summer before college truly

had a major impact on my life. In June of 2011, I walked into a

cold room at Jackson State

University, was handed a 1 inch

binder, and instructed to take a

seat in the U shaped seating

arrangement. I knew that I had

been accepted into the Fannie

Lou Hamer Institute Youth

Summer Workshop, but I did not

kno w w hat w as ah ead .

Throughout the week, I learned

a b o u t m a n y p e o p l e ,

organizations, and places and

how each had a pivotal in the

Civil Rights Movement. From

discussing Ida B. Wells and her

campaign against lynching to

learning about Bayard Rustin, an

accomplice of Dr. Martin Luther

King Jr., I soaked up all of the

information and shared it with

many family members. At the

conclusion of the program, Dr.

Leslie B. McLemore invited me

to help next year with the

Summer Youth Workshop.

I did. And I have NO regrets.

I volunteered June 11-16, 2012

with the Institute’s 2012 Youth

Workshop. Although some of the

material I had heard from the previous year, it still affected

the way I view and appreciate my heritage. It was a joy to

be “on the other side” and to be in a leadership position with

the students. When helping with small groups, I got a

chance to listen to their ideas on problems in their

communities, such as the numerous amounts of unfixed pot

holes and high rates of crime. They expressed their gratitude

for the struggles of their predecessors and discussed how

they can apply the dedication and hard work to their lives

today. I even learned how to operate a video camera and

how to step up to the plate when needed.

I really enjoyed volunteering with the Hamer Institute this

summer. The warm, welcoming spirits of the faculty

members was greatly appreciated. I hope to continue my

involvement with the Fannie Lou Hamer Institute’s ongoing

efforts to educate society of the many individuals that made

it possible for the advancements of African Americans

today. As SNCC (Student Non-Violent Coordinating

Committee) Founder Ella Baker stated, “We who believe in

freedom cannot rest.”

Candace Chambers, 2012 Volunteer

2011 Youth Workshop Participant

THE 2012 SUMMER YOUTH WORKSHOP

“NOBODY’S FREE ’TIL EVERYBODY’S FREE”

FALL 2012

Hamer Happenings

The Hamer Institute is proud of our continuing

relationship with the Jackson Public School System.

We have just completed the forth of a five year project

funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s

Teaching American History program and we

welcomed some new members and gratefully renewed

our relationships with veterans of the program. This

year we examined the years from 1910 to 1960. As

always, we maintain a sharp focus on the African

American experience as central to the American ex-

perience. Once again Leslie, Michelle, and Jeff were

joined by Hamer Institute stalwart and Core faculty

member Dr. David Dennard.

As usual we all presented professional development

workshops throughout the school year. Dr. McLemore

presented on Emmett Tilt and black elected officials,

Dr. Deardorff presented on the Road to Brown v.

Board of Education, Dr. Dennard made the first of two

presentations on the Great Migration, and Dr. Kolnick

held forth on The Great Depression and the New Deal.

The professional development workshops inspired us

and created anticipation for our summer workshop. In the summer, we dove into the history with gusto.

Dr. Deardorff presented on First Wave Feminism,

Civil Rights and the Law: Brown to Little Rock, and

on the incredible and far too obscure life of Pauli

Murray. Dr McLemore enlightened everyone on the

Black Church, Black Nationalism and on the

remarkable journey of Civil Rights icon A. Philip

Randolph. Dr. Dennard continued his discourse on the

Great Migration, informed us about the Harlem

Renaissance, and provided a framework for

understanding the remarkable life of WEB DuBois.

Dr. Kolnick presented on World Wars One and Two

and framed the lives of activist heroines Septima Clark

and Ella Baker. The work on the substance of history

was supplemented by workshops on pedagogy. As

always, the sterling leadership of Quita Moorehead

created a community as filled with respect and

inquisitiveness as joyful friendship.

Our fieldtrip this year took us to Little

Rock, Arkansas where we toured Central

High School and the William Jefferson

Clinton Presidential Library. We had an

interesting stop in the Delta town of

Mound Bayou, Mississippi which is one

of the last surviving Black-created

communities. As always, walking in the

historical past energized us all for a new

academic year.

TEACHING AMERICAN HISTORY: SUMMER 2012

Jeff Kolnick, Ph.D. - Historian, Southwest Minnesota State University

Michelle D. Deardorff, Professor and Interim Chair, Political Science,


FALL 2012

O ver the course of the summer, Michael

Morris had the opportunity to assist in a

summer course designed to enhance

student's knowledge of the modern Civil Rights

struggle in the American South utilizing an

experiential learning teaching model. Working

alongside Lena Jones, a Political Science

instructor at Minnesota Technical College and

Program Director of the course, Michael

worked as an HECUA (Higher Education

Consortium on Urban Affairs) instructor,

assisting in co-

o r d i n a t i n g

Civil Rights

tours wi th

students mostly

f r o m

M i n n e s o t a ,

b r o a d l y

discussing top-

ics on race,

religion, and

politics. The

course, entitled

R a c e I n

A m e r i c a n :

Then and Now

- “Post-Racial” Perspectives on the Civil Rights

Movement, allowed Michael to travel with

students to significant Civil Rights sites across

the south including Jackson, New Orleans,

Birmingham, Montgomery, Lowndes County,

Memphis, Nashville, and throughout the

Mississippi Delta. As a valuable asset to the

HECUA student’s experience in Jackson,

Michael attributes

his contribution to

the course’s success

to his experience

working with the

Hamer Institute for

the past year.

M i c h a e l a l s o

continued his work

with the Hamer

Institute during the

J P S W o r k s h o p

week. Michael is

now working as a

Mass Tort Case

Manager with Richard Schwartz and Associates as

he finishes up his last year as a graduate student at

JSU and begins applying for law schools. He

hopes to continue advocating the Hamer Institute

values of civic engagement and social justice

through the practice of law.

THE HAMER INSTITUTE’S

EXPERIENCE WITH

HIGHER EDUCATION

CONSORTIUM ON URBAN

AFFAIRS (HECUA)

—Michael Morris—2012 Hamer Institute

Graduate Assistant

Hamer Happenings

“…know that you are

sitting on hallowed

ground” is what

Dave Dennis, Sr., the

Assistant Project Director for the Council of

Federated Organizations (COFO) during the 1960s,

spoke to an audience of more than 200 people as they

gathered to celebrate the official grand opening of the

COFO Civil Rights Education Center on March 23,

2012. The day opened with a prayer breakfast and

ribbon cutting ceremony. Students from Jim Hill

High School, New Hope Christian School, and

Vicksburg High School visited for a tour and to listen

to civil rights veterans Wendell Paris, Hezekiah

Watkins, Dolores Lynch Williams, and Flonzie

Brown Wright share their experiences as freedom

fighters. With a greater understanding that it is on

others whose shoulders they stand, the students wrote

expressions of thanks to all civil rights veterans for

their commitment to social justice and equality. One

6th grader wrote:

Thank you for standing up for our

freedom that we now have today. You

have been an inspiration to us to

stand up for what we believe in and

stand against what we know is wrong.

Student visits culminated with an intergenerational

freedom march led by students from Blackburn

Middle School, the McComb Young People’s

Project, and civil rights veterans, Brenda Travis and

James Kates.

Since the grand opening, the COFO Center has been

joined by the Hamer Institute and the Veterans of the

Mississippi Civil Rights Movement to host and

provide guided tours for groups from Marquette

University, Baylor University, and Yale University,

to name a few. Additionally, the COFO Center,

along with Tougaloo College and the Hamer Institute,

had the opportunity to coordinate the return of

“Tougaloo Nine” member, Geraldine Edwards Hollis

to Jackson. Hollis reunited with fellow

“Tougaloo Nine” member James “Sammy”

Bradford as an audience gathered at the

Bennie G. Thompson building to listen to her

read excerpts from her book Back to Missis-

sippi, which was followed by a book signing

and reception.

Over the course of one year, the COFO

Center has had more than 1,000 visitors from

across the nation and from around the globe

(e.g., Tokyo, Cambodia, Egypt, and Ontario)

and proud to announce its 1st Annual “Black

History Makers” Forum on February 20,

2013. This gathering of scholars, special

guests, students, and the general public will

come together to remember the life and

legacy of Medgar Wiley Evers and other

black history makers – past and present –

who have been drum majors for justice by

playing an instrumental role in the social,

political, and economic advancement of

marginalized groups in American society.

As a buzz continues to build around Jackson

State University’s COFO Civil Rights

Education Center as a “must see” tourist

attraction, we look forward to continued

collaborations with the Hamer Institute and

building partnerships with the community

and local and national organizations.

Through these partnerships, the COFO

Center will continue to diligently work to

educate, engage, and empower the masses

while sharing and preserving Mississippi’s

rich civil rights history in the 21st century.

COFO Civil Rights Education Center “A Testament to Mississippi's Civil Rights Past, Present, and Future"

FALL 2012

Hamer Happenings

FALL 2012

1400 John Roy Lynch Street P.O. Box 17081

Jackson, Mississippi 39212

Phone: 601-979-1562 Fax: 601-979-5926

E-mail: [email protected]

www.JSUMS.EDU/

Hamer.Institute

2012 CALENDAR OF EVENTS THE HAMER

INSTITUTE

JACKSON STATE

UNIVERSITY

Join Our

Facebook

Fan Page: The Fannie Lou

Hamer

National

Institute on

Citizenship and

Democracy ____________

________

Contact Us

“Righteousness exalts a nation; hate just makes people miserable.” ~ Fannie Lou Hamer

HAMER

HAPPENINGS

November 8, 2012

Medgar Evers/Ella Baker Civil Rights

Lecture Series

Robert Clark Symposium

“Post-election Analysis: Roadmap to the

Future For African Americans”


College of Science, Engineering and

Technology—Auditorium

6:30 p.m.


[email protected]

[email protected]

601-979-1563

November 13, 2012

The JSU Reading Community

Not What We Were: The Changed and

Changing South by James E. Bell

Java Cafe

H.T. Sampson Library

6:00 p.m.

Reception to follow

www.jsums.edu/Hamer.Institute

601-979-1563

October 3-4, 2012

29th Annual Fannie Lou Hamer

Memorial Symposium Lecture Series

“Looking Back to Move Forward: Fannie

Lou Hamer’s Mississippi 50 Years Later


Dollye M.E. Robinson Liberal Arts

Building Room 166/266


[email protected]

[email protected]

601-979-1562

October 5, 2012

Fannie Lou Hamer Memorial Statue

Unveiling

The Fannie Lou Hamer Memorial Garden

Ruleville, Mississippi

10:00a.m.


601-979-1563

October 25, 2012

The JSU Reading Community

Black Greek 101: The Culture, Customs,

and Challenges of Black Fraternities and

Sororities by Dr. Walter M. Kimbrough

College of Engineering and Technology—

Auditorium



6:00p.m.


If you have any questions,

comments or desire further information on any of our past,

present or future events/

workshops,

Please feel free to contact

The Hamer Institute

601-979-1562 (office)

601-979-5926 (fax)

[email protected]

or

Visit our Website at:

www.jsums.edu/

hamer.institute

Ms. Latosha A. Garrett

Editor in Chief

Mr. Keith Lamont McMillian, M.A.

Co-Editor in Chief

hamer happenings

Documents

hamer institute

state of mississippi

barbour jackson

voice jackson

hamer experience

hamer happenings page

new course

calvary baptist church